Improvement in tobacco-plant planters



R. A. KNOX.

TOBACCO-PLANT PLANTER.

Patented June 5,1877.

ATTORNEYS.

N-PETERS. FHOTO-LIYNOGRAPHEH, WASHINGTON. D

a into semi-tubular form.

PATENT Dnrron.

RoBnRr A; knom ole enn'nnhssienon TO HIMSELF AND DARNALL I BROTHER QELQ ISVILL v K 'IMBRQVEMENT IN TOBACQQ-PLANT PLANTERS.

Specification forming of Letters I a-tent N0. 191,60 1, dated June 5, 1877; application filed a March 19, 1877.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. KNOX, of Ghent, in the county of Carroll and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tobacco-Plant Planter, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved machine, partly in section, to show the construeplant into said hole, and press the soil around it, and which shall be simple in construction, convenient in use, and reliable in operation, doing its work quickly and well.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the claims. a

A is a plate or board of suitable length and breadth, and to the side edges of which are attached the side edges of a plate,- B, bent The lower corners of the board A are beveled 0e, and the plate B extends only to the upper end of said bevels.

O is a plate bent into the form of an inverted semi-cone, and to. the corners of which are attached short arms D. The arms D are pivoted to the side edges of the board A, and to the rearwardly-projecting end of one of said arms D is pivoted the lower end of the rod E. The rod E passes up through keepers attached to the board A, and has a knob attached to its upper end for convenience in operating it.

To the rearwardly-projecting end .of the other 1 'armD is attached the lower end of a spiral or other spring, F, the upper end of which is attachedto the board A. In the rear side of the middle part of the board A is formed a groove to receive the rod G,.which is kept in place by keepers attachedto the said board 1 A, and to the lower end of which is attached A and the plate 0. The rod G is held up by a spiral spring, I, placed upon it. To the middle upper part of the board A is rigidly attached a handle, J, to the outer end of which is hinged the outer end of the handle K. To the inner end of the handle K is pivotedthe upper end of the rod L, which passes down through keepers attached to the board A, and to its lower end are pivoted the lower ends of two'connecting-bars, M. The upper ends of the connecting-rods M are pivoted to the upper ends of the bars N, which are placed 'npon the beveled edges of the lower part of the board A,and are slotted longitudinally to receive the screws by which they are secured to said beveled edges. The lower ends of the sliding bars N are bent outward to form feet to press the soil around the plants. The slid .allowing the head H to be withdrawn from the ground by the spring 1, takes a plant from a sack that he carries around his neck, and drops it root downward into the spout B C, the semi-conical plate 0 guiding it into the hole opened by the head H. The operator then presses the handles K J together, which forces the sliding barsN downward and presses the soil around the plant. The handles K J are then released, allowing the spring 0 to raise the bars N, and with the thumb of the hand that grasps the handles J K the operator presses the rod E, which swings the lower part of the plate 0 back, and allows the ma chine to be raised, leaving the plant standing in the ground.

To the lower part of the rod L is attached a small plate or arm, P, so that the foot can be used for forcing the head H into the ground.

To the lower end of the board A is attached a small horizontal plate, Q, to serve as a stop to prevent the machine from sinking too deep in soft soil.

The plates P Q may be strengthened by short inclined braces R, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the rod G, conical head H5 and spring I with the board A, plate B, and hinged plate 0, to form a hole to receive the plants, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the hinged handle K, the rod L, the pivoted connecting-bars M, the sliding bars N, and the spring 0 with the stationary handle J, the board A, and the be raised, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

ROBERT A. KNOX.

Witnesses WM. HOWARD, D. M. ONEAL. 

